Banjo



J. A. BOLANDER BANJO Original Filed Dec. 5, 1917 INVENTOE J01I/VA.BOLANDER BY W55:

ATTO/PNE Y I catching upon the edge of the neck.

Patented May 8, 1923.

JOHN A. BOLANDEE, OE CAI ZFOBNIA.

narra e.

Application filed December 3, 1917, Serial No. 20 ,017'.

To all whom it may concern:

' Be it known that 1, JOHN A. Bornnnnn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Berkeley, county of Alameda, State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Banjos, whereof the following is a specification.

This invention relates to musical stringinstruments of the banjo or ukelele type.

The invention comprises a sound concentrator under the head of the instrument. it also comprises means for securing said head and sound concentrator in place. It tun ther comprises a finger guard applied to the angle between the finger board and the top of the rear end of the instrument. It also comprises means for securing and stretching the head of the instrument when the latter is made of skin or parchment.

The details 01"? the invention will be described in connection with the accompany ing 1 sheet of drawing, in which I have illustrated an instrument containing the in vention, and in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a complete instrument and shows the timer guard or stop.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section of the rear portion of the instrument, showing the means for stretching the skin head of the same, and for securing the sound concentrator in place.

Figure 3 is a similar view to Figure 2, but shows the sound concentrator and the head of the instrument, both made of rigid material, such as wood.

In these figures, 1 represents the rear end of the instrument; 2, the neck or finger board and 8 a guard or stop (shown in Figure 1) applied to the angle between the head and neck to prevent the fingers of the player This stop may be made of a thin piece of sheet material, of any suitable description.

The rear end of the instrument comprises the rim 4-, which is commonly in the form of a ring, across the top of which the strings I; are stretched. 6 represents the head of the instrument, which may be of wood, applied to the rim 4, as clearly shown in Figure 3. 7 is a sound concentrator, under the head 6, which may also be made of'wood, and may be glued or secured into place against the annular shoulder 8, upon the inner surface of the rim. The concentrator 7, has a sound Renewed Eeptenilier 1922, Serial 1T0. 591. 131.

opening 9, under the bridge 10 of the instrument. i l hen the head (3 of the instrument is made of parchment, or its equivalent, as indicated in Figure 2, it is secured in place by doubling its edge over a wire ring 11, which fits in a groove in the inner surface of the rim 4. In such a case, the sound concentrator 7, is provided with an upstanding flange or rib 12, near its edge, which is iorced against the head 6, pushing it upward and tightening it to any desired de ree. The upl bush is given by me ns of set-screws 13, j against the under side of the rib 12 f 1e concentrator 7. These set screws pass between pairs of pins 14, which are inserted in holes in the inner surface of rim 4:, as shown in Fig. and then bent to an approximate parallelism with the sound concentrator 7, and nuts 15 are applied thereto, resting upon the pins, thus forming a very cheap and simple adjusting means for bearing upward against the sound concentrator 7. 16 represents a continuation of the edge 01 the sound concentrator in the form of a clownward flange. 17 is a sound-reflector applied to the back edge of rim 4, and extending downward and forward part way across the bottom of the rim.

The above construction results in a confined air space immediately beneath the head and between it and the sound concentrator.

Having thus described my invention, and embodiments oi it, I here state that I do not wish to be limited to the precise construction and arrangement of the several parts as here in set forth, as the same may be variously modified. by a skilled mechanic without departing from the spirit of the invention.

TVhat claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent oi the United States, is the fol lowing. to-wit:

1. A banjo. comprising, in combination, a rim havii an internal circular groove. :1 head having its surrounding edge secured in said groove. a bridge mounted upon the outer surface of said head, a sound concentrator beneath said head and a sound opening through said sound concentrator located directly beneath said bridge.

2. A banjo, comprising in combination, a rim having an internal groove, a head. a ring in said groove. the edge 01' said head bo ing secured over said ring, a sound concentrator beneath said head provided with a projecting flange adapted to ras reeo inner suria e ot the rim, set-screws engaging said pins, and adapted to exert pressure upon the sound concentrator, and nuts upon said set-screws bearing against said pins.

In testimony that 1. claim the foregoing, I have hereto set my hand in the presence of two Witnesses, this 23, day of November, 1917.

JOHN A. BOLANDER.

\Vitnesses JUiliv A. Bonmnnn, Jim, Fronnxon L. \Vonrn. 

